Apparatus for conveying material



y 6, 1958 M. STANDISH ET AL 2,833,595

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL Filed Nov. 8, 1955 United States Patent YO f APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING. MATERIAL Myles'Standish, Omaha, Nehru, and William'D. Shadwick, Council Bluffs, Iowa, assig'nors to Omaha Standard, Inc.,- Council Bluifs, Iowa, in corporation of Iowa Application November 8, 1955, Serial No. 545,755

9 Claims. (Cl. 302-49) This invention relates to a self-unloadinghopper for finely divided materials, and more particularly to a device for'supporting and permitting easy removal and replacement of porous walls.

In the usual instance, the self-unloading apparatus conveysthe pulverulent' materials along the surface of'a gaspermeable, rigid, porous medium through which air is introduced. The porous medium is mounted at a.slop'e greater than the angle of repose of the pulverulent' material when aerated. As the air is introduced into the material, it flows downwardly alongithe inclined surface of the porous medium and is discharged.

In the past, the apparatus has been constructed of a web of canvas and a metal channel air duct. The web of canvas has been clamped between the bottom edge of the bin and the metal channel air duct by bolts. One of the disadvantages of the previous construction is that his diflicult to remove the canvas porous medium when: it is in need of repair or replacement. Another problem is the fact that in the past the aerator unit has reduced the structural strength of the bin.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a porous medium that can be removed from the apparatus as a unit independent of the bin and the air duct.

It is another object of the invention to provide a removable porous medium in an apparatus for conveying materials, which will have a seal between the bin and the edges of the porous medium.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a porous medium which is supported. so' that it can beremoved from the apparatus in the'form of a compact unit.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide the bin with an aerator in a constructionin which the bin will be structurally strong. i

It is yet another object of the invention to provide the porous medium in an aerator with a support so. as to'permit' it to be walked upon.

Further objects and advantages of this inventionwill become evidentias the description proceeds and from an. examination of the accompanying drawing which illustr'ates one embodiment of the invention and inv which similar numerals. refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure l is'a fragmentaryvie'w'taken along lines 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a view in cross section of the apparatus embodying the invention.

Referring-now to the'drawing, the numeral lfl'indicates generally the apparatusembodying the invention, inwhich a container or bin 11 having inclinedwalls 12 tapering downwardly to a bottom opening 14, has an aerator located at the bottom opening for removing materials contained therein. The air duct for aerating the material in the bin is a channel or trough located below and of a width greater than the bottom opening 14 of the bin. The air duct 15 engages the side walls 11 of the bin at a A 2,833,595 Patented. May 6,. 1958 2. point spaced from the bottom opening so that the' side walls 12 have an overhanging lower extremity 16.

The upper portions of the air duct are flared outwardly at 17 and fastened to the side wall by suitable means, such as welding, above the overhang 16. By this con struction the air duct contributes to the structural strength of the bin. I

The material in the bin is supported at the bottom open ing 14 on a porous medium 20, such as atwoto eightply canvas belting. The porous medium 20 in turn issupported on a web 21 which is a for'aminous sheet, pref erably expanded metal. The web is connected between a pair of longitudinal side supports 22, as by welding at 23. Braces 24 maintain the web in expanded position and impart rigidity thereto.

The sidesupports 22 are adapted to be supported on a trackway formedby a pair of angle-irons 26. The-angle irons open inwardly with the supports 22 riding, on the lower faces.

The canvas belting is drawn taut and clamped along its edges between angle irons 27 and longitudinal sup ports 22 by any suitable means, such as rivets 28. It will be seen that the porous medium is supported on a rigid frame unit which may be slidably removedorinserted in trackway 26 independently of air duct 15 or bin 11'.

The. angle irons 27 open inwardly so that a resilient sealing member 3% for example of rubber tubing, may be mounted between the angle iron and the lower'portionf of the side wall 11. The sealing member 30 providesan airtight seal between the Walls 12 of the bin and the-edges of the porous medium, in order that the air passing through the air duct 15 must pass through theporous' medium 20. g

A blower (not shown) supplies air under pressure to" duct 15. This low pressure air flows uniformly throughj the canvas 20 throughout its entire area and aerates the material containedin the bin to cause'it'to flow along the canvaszwhen the latter is sufiiciently inclined'toelfect discharge.

Trackways 26 are each supported by a pluralit'yoflink'si 40. The links 40 are pivotallymounte'd ona pin 42 in" brackets 41 on the bottorn'wall of the" air duct andon' pin" t5 between a pair of ears 44' depending'frorn trackways 26. Iiinks'40 are designed sUthat'tIie'trackWays', whenin uppermost position, firmly hold the sealing members'ih' abutting association against the outer face of the over? hangs 16. By supportinglthe angle irons on the links, the frame member with the porous medium thereon may be raised and lowered to and from th'ebottom openinggl li of the bin. When it is raised the aerator may beope'rat'ed since the sealing membersv form an-efiective seal. In lowered positionthe frame and orousmedium thereon may be removed.

The devicefor raising and lowering the trackways 2 6 may be any suitable mechanism. As shown in Figure. 1Tl in the drawing, a threaded eye bolt. ispivotallya mounted to the trackway 26 on pin 51 and has a.tlireadedI extremity passingthrough. the end wall of'ainduct I5. I A nut. 52-is mounted on the threaded extremity oithe bolt outside-the end wall at an accessible location? As saidl bolt is. loosenedand tightened, the. trackways. are; raised" and lowered on links 40. g I

.From the foregoing, it should be apparent how the porous medium is removed so that it may be repaired. The frame on which the porous medium is mounted is supported by trackways 26 beneath the bottom opening 12. of the hopper in air duct 15. A pair of sealing members 30 on angle irons 27 is held against Walls 12 as the,

entire assembly is raised against the bin by tightening nut 52- threaded on bolt 50.

In order to remove the porous medium so that it may be repaired or replaced; bolt 52 is merely loosened, which allows the trackway 26 to be lowered on links 40. The. frame with the porous medium may then he slid outwardlwthrough an, access opening (not shown), the porous "medium repaired, and ,tbeframe replaced.

In the'dra'wing andspecification, there has been set forth a preferredembodimentofthe invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generio'and,descriptive sense only and not for'purposes of limitation. Changes in form and in the proportion ofparts, aswell as theflsubstitution of equivalents are contemplatedfas circumstances may suggest or render expedienLfwithout departing fromthe spirit or scope of this inyentionas further defined in the following claim llf I I f We claim;

l. vI n'anapparatusadapted for conveying finely divided material comprising a container having a' bottom opening,.an airgduct below said bottom opening mounted on diridfohtainer, a gas-permeable porous medium having a surface along which the, material is adapted to ,fiow when'aerated, aremovable frame member for supporting said porous mediumat said bottom opening, a base be- Iowfsaid fram member, trackway means in said air duct for f supporting said frame member, sealing members between the edges of said porous medium and said container adjacent bottom opening thereof, supporting'links pivotallyconnected tosaid base member and to said trackway means, and means forholding said frame member on said'trackway means adjacent said bottom opening of said container to maintain an;airtight seal between said porousmedium and said container 2. In an apparatus adapted for conveying finely divided material comprising a container having a bottom opening, a'gas-permeable porousmedium having a surface along whic'lfthe materialis adapted to flow when aerated, a

removable, frame, member for supporting said porous medium atisaid bottoml opening, a base member below said framemember, trackwaymeans for supporting said frame "member, supporting links pivotally connected to saidbaseand to-said trackway means, sealing members between the edges of saidframe member and said container adjacent thebottom opening thereof, and means for holding saidiframe memberon said trackway means adjacentsaidbottomof said container to maintain an air tightjseal between said container and said porous medium. I 3. 'In an apparatus adapted for conveying finely divided material comprising a. containerhaving a bottom opening, a gas-'permeableporous, medium having a surface along which the material is adapted to 110W when aerated, a removable frame member. having a web with a plurality of apertures for supporting said porous medium at said bottom openings, sealing membersbetween the edges of said porous medium and said container adjacent bottom opening thereof, a base member belowsaid frame member, trackway means'for. supporting said frame member, supporting links pivotally. connected to said base and to saidtrackway means, and means for holding said frame member adjacent said bottom'opening of said container to maintainan airtight seal between said porous medium and saidcont ainer.

4. In an apparatus for conveying finely divided material'comprising a bin having inclined side walls with an open bottonna trackway below said open bottom, a framemember adapted to be inserted insaid trackway, a porous medium supported by said frame member, said frame member comprising a pair of side supports and a foraminous web, sealing members between the edges of said porous medium and said side walls adjacent the open bottom of said bin to form an airtight seal therebetween, and means for raising and lowering said trackway to make and break said airtight seal.

5. In an apparatus for conveying finely divided material comprising a bin having inclined side walls with an open bottom, a trackway below said open bottom, a frame member adapted to be inserted in said trackway, a porous medium supported by said frame member, said frame member comprising a pair of side supports and a foraminous web, a sealing member adapted to be held between the edges of said frame member and said side walls of said bin to form an airtight seal therebetween, and means for raising and lowering said trackway to make and break said airtight seal.

6. In an apparatus for conveying finely divided material comprising a bin having inclined side walls. with anopenbottorn, a trackway below said open bottom, a frame member adaptedto be inserted in said trackway, a porous medium supported by said frame member, said frame member comprising a pair of side supports and a web of a foraminous metal sheet, sealing members for formingan airtight seal between said side walls and the edges ofsaid porous medium, and means for raising and lowering said trackway to make and break said airtight seal. I

7. In an apparatus for conveying finely divided material comprising a bin having inclined side walls with an open bottom, a trackway below said open bottom, a frame member adapted to be inserted in said trackway, a porous medium supported by said frame member, said frame member comprising a pair of side supports and a foraminous web, sealing members between the edges of said frame member and said container adjacent bottom opening thereof, a plurality oflinks supporting said trackway, and means for raising and lowering said trackwayon said links to maintain an airtight seal between said porous medium and said container.

8. In an apparatus for conveying finely divided material comprising a bin having inclined side walls with an open bottom, a trackway below said open bottom, a frame member adapted to be inserted in said trackway supporting a porous medium, a sealing member held between the edges of said frame member and said side walls of said bin for forming an airtight seal therebetween, and means for raising and lowering said trackway to make and break said airtight seal.

9. In an apparatus for conveying finely divided material comprising a bin having inclined side walls with an open bottom, a trackway below said open bottom, a frame member adapted to be inserted in said trackway supporting a porous medium, said frame member comprising a pair, of side supports and a web of a foraminous metal sheet, a sealing member adapted to be held between the edges of said frame member and said side walls of said bin for forming an airtight seal between the edges of said porous medium and said bin, links supporting said trackway, and means for raising and lowering said trackway on said links to make and break said airtight seal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sylvest Apr. 27, 1954 

